There are times when the wind blows upon the road one threads. Within those gusts carrying things one cannot easily comprehend. Wherein simple things are as much of an impossible task to something impossible to be as feasible as any old task.
And within that wind carried something so simple yet remarkable. A simple piece of paper, written with something unremarkable.
And blown to the lap of one with a simple desire...
Sona could not help but blink upon finally tracking the wayward flyer. It was not much to many but for her, it was something of great import. After all to a 'devil' like her, that flyer was something beyond the words written within. It was something to connect them to the world of the 'normal' providing information and wealth. For a small fee, a small service would be given; though no longer as grand and/or dangerous as the tales of old.
Blown away by a strong gust of wind, she was weary of it flying off. While certain that very little would fully understand it's true value, she couldn't just let it fly away without either confirming one who gets hold of it or it getting destroyed by either pedestrian means or her own hands. And with no other hands but herself and her familiar; who sadly she had to let be to let it continue with it's duties, she ran off in pursuit.
Alas, though as quite superhuman and flight capable as she is; the wind and the fickle nature of paper made it nigh impossible to either catch or destroy the thing. Worse a stronger gust of wind had all but made it impossible to even see it, much let catch up to it.
The young woman could not help but sigh at the waste of time and energy despite her good intentions. But, with luck she couldn't help but feel the trickle of magic from the flyer. Or at least one of the flyers. However, while she found herself drawn to it; it was but a powerful yet simple desire-
Landing upon a wide berth of greenery; a hospital courtyard, the young woman finds that indeed it was from the wayward flyer. For she was certain, no matter the desire; the current holder would not be allowed to have it.
A small pale child, bound to a wheelchair; wistfully staring upon the flyer as if it was a gift from the heavens.
"Hello there." The young woman smiles at the small child holding the piece of paper who in turned looked at her in delight.
"Hello nee-chan!" The child, a little boy greeted her as he looks up with a smile. "Are you here to play with me?" Sona blinked at first only to realized why the young one asked.
"Sure." She answered patting him on the hand while grabbing the erstwhile flyer out of his hands. "Still, why are you here alone little one?"
"Well... I have this free time alone today and-" Sona listened to the young boy talked. About how happy he was with his family and that they were not poor nor rich. About his parents who loves so much and the nice doctors and nurses that cares for him. And the awful sickness that seemed to have plagued him since he was little... well littler. And that he never had a friend that wasn't his parents or his doctors and the nurses-
Sona couldn't help but feel her smile fade as her heart ached for the young life before her. Bereft of normally, he was imprisoned from the world with walls of white and a weak constitution. His only window to the great wide world was this lonely courtyard in the hospital that was practically his home.
"Well... what would you like to do?" She cut him off with a smile, not even regarding any responsibility at the moment. For in this very moment, there was only her and this small child. A child who in her mere presence, was enough to make him smile.
She could barely do anything, but wheel him about but that did matter. To the child, her just being there was enough. The boy's parent's while a little weary of her, was glad that a stranger would spend time with a boy they barely knew.
She couldn't help it. It was hard not to pity the boy but... it was also hard not to fulfill such a simple wish.
And so everyday or at least whenever she had time; she had visited the young child, more often than not just wheeling him about but eventually teaching him things she knew he had never had or will experience.
His body was just that weak. Sure it was not like he had some incredibly potent disease but at the same time, he might as well have one. Born a little too early, it was a miracle he was able to grow as old as he was now. And even more so with his family who loved him so much that they could care less of their workload as long as he was given treatment, given a little more time in the world. Just one more day, another week or year to be generous.
And yet the body could not just commit to something impossible for it.
Sona couldn't help but feel helpless. She had the means but knew what a callous and perhaps even more ill decision it was to 'aid' the boy that way. For once, she was torn between her rationale and her aching heart. The best she could do; the best she could give was the knowledge he was deprived of- a small taste of something beyond the hospital. Eventually introducing him to her many friends and later beginning to tutor him; to give him the education that he will never receive.
The boy's smile was the best payment she could receive. For every tiny bit of knowledge; the barest gift of wonder for every lesson for every word spoken... For every small sense of accomplishment, the ability given to fully read, to write his own name-
She couldn't help but feel she could do more and yet to him and his family, this was more than enough.
It's the best she could do-
And yet...
"Thank you Sona-chan." The harsh rain fell heavily upon the small home and Sona with a few of her friends gathered to mourn at a life lost so early. A flame snuffed out so readily as it just about to fully blaze.
"It's the best I could do." She couldn't help but tear up despite her smile- her pained smile as her best friend and childhood friend stood by her side and held her close. The parents, glad for all of this left her on her own grief as they themselves attended to others and eventually to the child- that small life that smiled on the very little she could give.
"Sona." Her redhead of a friend couldn't do much for her. She could console her for a while but in the end, it was up to the young woman if she would be okay. And Sona didn't feel okay.
Slow, small and steady did the boy worm into her heart. Pity becoming genuine affection, genuine worry. And the guilt that slowly built up as that feeling grew.
Sona couldn't help but make a pained and pitiful smile.
"In the end, for all our benevolence- Greed and selfishness..." She couldn't elaborate, in the end feeling so empty. "I did very little Rias. Most of the time simple staying by his side as he stared vaguely at the horizon, wondering whatever is beyond the hospital he was chained to-." She sniffed and wiped away her tears.
"I introduced you to him, my 'peerage' and even you own. Just to fulfill his all so simple wish." She took her glasses and in end let her tears fall. "Even going so far as to tutor him... to give him just the barest knowledge of the world." She turned to her friend who could only watch helplessly at her turmoil.
"Do you how happy he was just by being able to fully read and write? To be able to spell his own name!" She shook her head, unable to fully contain the storm of emotions within her chest; her cries drowned by the rain.
"Then that was truly the best gift you could give him Sona." 'Rias' shook her head and held her crying friend close. "Remember your dream? I know you do. Yes, this little detour ended tragically- a forgone conclusion but he couldn't help but be overjoyed." Sona stopped sniffling and stared at her friend who was smiling.
"He had but a simple wish: to have a friend. Just one; and yet you have gone your way to introduce all of us to him and he makes his farewell with a lot of friends." Sona's stare continues, her eyes dry at this point. "And then you began to gave him something he never wished for: education. Is it but your wish, not his. And yet, it is one gift he gladly receives. Is it not, what you have ever wanted?"
"Ah... Yes..." Sona's dream was to built a school- to give knowledge, to educate those who had none. And she had done so to the young child; who was gracious even to his last breath.
"Thank you nee-chan. Thank you for being here with me, for introducing me to these wonderful people and... and-
Thank you for giving me such a wonderful gift-"
From her pocket she fished out a piece of paper; something inconspicuous and unremarkable. And yet it was something precious to her beyond any treasure in the world. And that was despite baring nothing but a simple thing: his name. The name of the little boy who had wormed his way into her heart.
"I will not forget you little one. I will not forget you-"
A Simple Wish
